on the trail of the archaic revival

This site is not a just recipe website, although thats what it comes across as. What we are really sharing here are techniques: some of which our ancestors perfected over years and years, all over the world. Fermentation, soaking grains, beneficial herbs, bone broth, & preserving food are all part of what we like to call 'the archaic revival'. We also serve up ideas, challenges and neat foods and vegetables that you may not have tried.

Our priority is to use fresh organic produce, dairy, grains and meats. We begin with the groceries available to us (and that we can afford), preferably at a local farmers market and/or co-op. Once we have our ingredients, then we either look them up in the index of one of our fave cookbooks, or barge ahead on inspiration. One thing we are sure of - organic just tastes (feels!) better. Because we really love food, its all about using wonderful ingredients.

connecting food to farming

Its difficult to over-estimate the value of farmers and their endeavors. Given the importance of their work to our health, they would seem to deserve all our affection and more. We are encouraged by the recent trend away from big agriculture and monoculture. The small (and large) organic farms that are cropping up all around the world are making life better for their communities, and maybe for all of us. Organic meat, cheese, wine and beer are also making inroads to modern life. Sometimes the word 'conscious' comes up in place of organic: this word denotes the sense of personal responsibility that may lead to a better future.

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We welcome your input, comments, submissions and suggestions. If you have questions about a recipe, life in northern california or kung-fu cooking, we would be happy to answer them. mail at wonderfulingredients dot com

perfect summer zucchini soup

this year dylan and i are co-gardening with betsy and jim. what started out as a small endeavor turned into an 8 row mini farm filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and a few squash and watermelon. we choose primarily things we would want plenty of for fermenting or preserving (i've got my eye on the tomatoes for a fermented ketchup)! so far, the only thing prospering is the dark green zucchini! last week betsy made a zucchini soup based on her memory of a recipe by Anna Thomas from her book, Love Soup! it had lots of basil and zucchini and feta and was served with lemon wedges. the soup was bright and warming with a fabulous texture. over the next few days i thought lots about her soup. on a visit to the farm to pick up our goat milk i picked up some gorgeously shiny cilantro and a few handfuls of basil. i sat down and wrote this recipe before making it. the soup was an instant hit, dylan and i loved its spicy flavor-fulness! the heat causes a bit of perspiration which then acts to cool you down, a great combo for summer. leftovers are quite tasty at room temperature or served as a cold soup the next day (give it a good whisking before serving). the keys are to not overcook anything and use a delicious broth. the soup is simple and flavored mostly by your broth. we had a rich goat stock, chicken or veggie may work just as well.

Add the cumin and coriander to your stock pot, turn the heat to medium and dry roast the seeds. this takes a few minutes, watch closely, stirring them often till they brown and give off their aroma. remove the seeds from the pan and set aside to cool.

Add a Tbl or so of oil to the stock pot, turn the heat to medium again and add the onion. saute till the onions first become translucent then brown slightly. add the zucchini and continue to saute adding more oil if necessary and stirring to keep from sticking, 2-3 minutes.

meanwhile, add your toasted seeds and cayenne peppers to a spice grinder and grind to a rough powder. alternatively, crush the seeds with the back of a spoon and mince the peppers. add spice blend to the zucchini and onion saute, stirring it in before following with the stock. begin with four cups, reserving the rest to add at the end if desired. place a lid on the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. the idea is to get the zucchini soft, not mushy. keep an eye on your heat and the zucchini if it begins to dull in color, then its getting to be overcooked.

while the pot simmers: roughly chop the cilantro and basil, set aside. in a small saute pan, melt 1 Tbl butter or oil on a medium heat. add the garlic and saute only for a minute or two until the garlic aroma fills the kitchen, but before the pieces brown. ideally the garlic finishes at the end of the 10 simmering minutes! stir in buttery garlic, cilantro and basil to the soup pot. add salt and pepper start w/ just a bit, 1/2 to 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. once the pot is simmering again, remove from heat. blend with an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a vitamix or blender. the goal here is not to puree, allowing the soup creamy consistency! give the blender a few spins, so there are brilliant flecks of green and small pieces of zucchini (by small i mean 1/2 the size of a pea)

return to the pot, adjust seasoning to taste. here is where you may add a bit more broth depending on how thick or thin you like your soup. divide the feta between 2-4 bowls, ladle on the hot soup, and grind a little pepper on top. serve immediately, enjoy!

*side note: i tend to under salt in the pot, so that once the feta is added to the bowls you're not over-salted